Air-supported shelters



y 3, 1962 J. B. MAULDIN 3,042,051

AIR-SUPPORTED SHELTERS Filed Aug. 6, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 F JL IN VEN TOR.

JOSEPH B. MAULDIN July .3, 1962 J, MAULDIN 3,042,051

AIR-SUPPORTED SHELTERS Filed Aug. 6, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. JOSEPH B. MAULDIN TTORNE Y y 1962 J. B. MAULDIN 3,042,051

AIR-SUPPORTED SHELTERS Filed Aug. 6, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 III/"I" T JML INVENTOR. JOSEPH B. MAULDIN ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,t}42,tl51 AIR-SUPPQRTED SHELTERS Joseph B. Mauldin, 1736 Columbia Road, NW., Apt. lfll, Washington, D.C. Fiied Aug. 6, 1959, Ser. No. 831,995 7 Claims. (Cl. 135--1) This invention relates to shelters and more particularly to shelters of the general type comprising aflexible shelter body held in erected condition by a positive fluid pressure maintained within the shelter.

There has long been a general need for a relatively inexpensive shelter to be used in place of the usual rigid buildings. Because of this need, air-supported shelters of the general type disclosed in US. Patent No. 1,302,182, issued April 29, 1919, to F. W. Lanchester, have recently found considerable commercial acceptance. Such shelters comprise a shelter body, much in the nature of a large tent, formed of flexible sheet material and held in erected condition by a slight positive pressure supplied by means of a conventional centrifugal blower. Within the last few years, shelters of this general type have been widely adopted to provide storage space, to enclose swimming pools and the like, and for like purposes.

As heretofore constructed, such shelters have taken the form of either part of a sphere or part of a cylinder. Of the two forms, the cylindrical is most desirable in many instances because it allows the shelter to be made in larger sizes. Thus, when made in the form of half of a cylinder, air-supported shelters can be as much as 20 ft. long or longer.

One of the distinct advantages of the air-supported shelter, as compared to the other non-rigid shelters, is the fact that, upon being deflated, the air-supported shelter can be folded or rolled into compact form for shipping 3 and storage. However, when air-supported shelters have heretofore been made in the form of part of a cylinder, their configuration has always been such that the advantage of compactness in disassembled form could not be utilized to its fullest extent. This is because it has always been found necessary, heretofore, to form the ends of the generally cylindrical structure in such manner that the end portions were of double curvature. Hence, assuming that the entire shelter body was assembled as a unit from flexible sheet material, the double curvature of the end portions prevented the unit from being readily flattened out and rolled up for storage.

This problem has become particularly acute in view of the current demand for air-supported shelters which are, insofar as possible, transparent. Thus, when an air-supported shelter is to be employed to house a swimming pool or the like, it is desirable that the structure shield the interior from the wind and low temperatures but allow maximum admission of sunlight. Unfortunately, the transparent flexible sheet materials most suitable for this purpose can be rolled but cannot be folded or creased. Hence, it is obvious that an air-supported shelter of the general configuration seen in the aforementioned Lanchester patent can be fabricated of such transparent material only with extreme difliculty, if the structure is to be readily disassembled and rolled for storage.

The general requirement, in prior art shelters of this type, that the end portions have a double curvature has yet another distinct disadvantage. This is that the plan configuration of the end of the shelter must always be rounded, so that maximum utilization of ground space is not possible.

A general object of the present invention is to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages.

Another object is to provide an improved air-supported shelter characterized by having a rectangular ground plan.

Patented July 3, 1962 A further object is to devise a shelter of the general type described which, when fabricated from a given flexible material, has greater ability to withstand the forces resulting from high winds.

Yet another object is to provide an improved air-sup ported shelter capable of being fabricated entirely or in part from transparent flexible sheet material which can be rolled but which would be damaged by folding or creasing, which shelter can be readily deflated and reduced to compact form for storage.

In order that the manner in which these and other objects are attained in accordance with the invention can be understood in detail, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a simplified perspective View of a shelter constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a simplified top plan view of the shelter of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3, FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view, enlarged in scale, taken on line 4-4, FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a plan View of certain fabric end pieces employed in the shelter of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a fabric main body employed in the shelter of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a completed shelter in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the shelter of FIG. 7;

FIGS. 9-11 are perspective views, enlarged in scale, of a portion of a shelter constructed in accordance with another typical embodiment of the invention, the three figures in sequences showing the manner in which such shelter can be folded;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary detail view, partly in vertical section and partly in perspective, of one form of seam construction useful in accordance with the invention;

FIGS. 1315 are fragmentary detail views illustrating a second form of seam construction useful in accordance with the invention, FIGS. 13 and 14 being in vertical section and FIG. 15 in perspective;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of one form of base structure useful in the shelter of FIG. 7, and

FIG. 17 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 17 17, FIG. 16.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the simplified illustrations of the shape of the air-supported shelter constructed in accordance with the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 will first be described. Referring particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the shelter here illustrated comprises a flexible shelter body indicated generally at 1 and including a central portion 2 and end portions 3 and 4. When the shelter is in erected condition, central portion 2 extends as half of a horizontal cylinder, the longitudinal axis of the cylinder being indicated at 5. The ends 3 and 4 are identical, each extending as a quarter of a cylindrical surface centered on longitudinal axes 6 and 7, respectively. Axes 6 and 7 are parallel, disposed in the same plane as axis 5 and at right angles to axis 5. As will be clear from FIG. 2, the lower edge 8 of the shelter body 1 extends, when the shelter is in erected condition, as a horizontal rectangle and the axes 5, 6 and 7 lie in the plane of such rectangle, in this embodiment.

As seen in FIG. 3, the transverse cross section of the shelter body, in erected form, is half of a plain cylinder. The transverse cross section of the shelter body at both axes 6 and 7 is idential with that seen in FIG. 3. However, since end portions 3 and 4 extend cylindrically about horizontal axes extending transversely of the shelter, transverse cross sections taken through the end portions are in part rectilinear, as seen at 3' in FIG. 4 and in part cylindrical, as seen at 3", FIG. 4.

It will be noted that, in this embodiment, the cylindrical surfaces formed by main bodyportion 2 and end portions 3 and 4 all have the same radius of curvature. Accordingly,, end portions 3 and 4 join main body portion 2 along lines, indicated at 9 and 10, respectively, which are intersections of identical cylindrical surfaces disposed with their axes in a common plane but at right angles to each other.

The pattern form (that is, the form of a sheet of flexible material necessary to make the part) of the identical end portions 3 and 4 is seen in FIG. 5, this form being arrived at by simple projection of the lines of the intersection just referred to. The pattern form for main body portion 2 is illustrated in FIG. 6.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, it will be seen that there is here illustrated a complete air-supported shelter having the configuration described with reference to FIGS. 1-6, the shelter comprising a shelter body indicated generally at 11 including a main body portion 12, a first end portion 13 and a second end portion 14, these portions having the cylindrical configuration described with reference to elements 2, 3 and 4, respectively, in FIGS. 1 and 2. Main body portion 12 is fabricated from flexible, relatively air-impervious fabric. End portions 13 and 14 are each fabricated from the same fabric. End portion 13 is joined in substantially fluid-tight fashion to main body portion 12 along seams 19, which seams can be fabricated by stitching, heat sealing, or other suit able procedures in the general fashion hereinafter described with reference to FIG. 12. End portion 14 is configuration of the shelter provided by the present invention affords greater strength and resistance to high winds, the portions of the erected shelter along seams 19 and 21 actually affording greater strength than portions of the shelter having no seams.

Since the entire shelter illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 is made from fabric which can be creased without damage thereto, it will be apparent that, after deflation of the shelter body and detachment thereof from base 21, entranceway structure 22 and blower 26, the entire shelter body can readily be folded and rolled into compact form for transportion and storage. Since creasing need not be avoided, this operation can be carried out in various ways when the shelter is constructed in the manner shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. However, a particularly advantageous way to accomplish folding and rolling is that described with reference to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 9-11.

Referring now to FIGS. 9-11, it will be seen that the shelter body 51, one end portion of which is illustrated, has the same configuration hereinbefore described with reference to FIGS. 1-4 and FIGS. 7 and 8. Thus, main body portion 52 extends cylindrically about a horizontal axis running lengthwise of the shelter, while end portion 1 54 extends cylindrically about a horizontal axis lying in the same plane as the longitudinal axis of portion 52 but extending at right angles thereto. In this embodiment, main body portion 52 is made up of two halves 52 and 52 each fabricated from a transparent polyester film which can be rolled but which would be damaged by creasing. At a line extending longitudinally along the top of the shelter body the halves 52' and 52 are each joined tudinally because of the provision of coated fabric strip 58, the material of which is not damaged by folding or creasing.

Referring now to FIG. 10, the first step of such a folding operation is to fold end portion 54 along the center of strip 58 inwardly with respect to the shelter body. To accomplish this, folds also are made along seams 59. This manner of folding is continued to completion, at both ends of the shelter body, until the halves 52' and 52" of portion 52 are brought together in flat condition and end portions of the shelter body are disposed therebetween, folded in half, as will be clear from FIG. 11. The folding operation having been completed, the shelter body is now rolled, starting at one end thereof, and is so brought into compact form for storage or shipment. Because the shelter body has the configuration originally discussed with reference to FIGS. 1-4, and because of the provision of coated fabric strip 58 and foldable seams 59, with like foldable seams at the opposite end of the shelter body, folding of the shelter body in the manner illustrated in FIGS. and 11, and then rolling thereof, is accomplished without damage to the polyester film which makes up the larger portion of the shelter body. It will thus be understood that, in this embodiment of the invention, almost all of the shelter body is of a transparent material which cannot be safely folded, yet the shelter can be deflated, folded and rolled without damage to such material.

From a consideration of FIGS. 1-11, it will be apparent that many variations of the invention are possible, and that it is not necessary that, on the one hand, the entire shelter body be of a foldable material (as in FIGS. 7 and 8), or, on the other hand, both the main body portion and the end portions be made mainly of transparent material (as in FIGS. 9-11). Thus, it will be apparent that the main body portion 52, FIG. 9, can be fabricated in two halves each of polyester film, and the two end portions can be made completely of foldable material such as coated nylon fabric. Conversely, main body portion 52 can be entirely of a foldable, opaque fabric and both end portions can be fabricated in the fashion described with reference to end portion 54, FIG. 9.

Still further flexibility of construction is afforded when a detachable seam construction is employed, such as that illustrated in FIGS. 13-15. In these figures, the detachable seam construction is illustrated as employed to form seams 59, FIG. 9, as between one half 52 of the main body portion of the shelter and one half 54' of an end portion thereof. Here, the appropriate edge of member 52 is provided with outwardly projecting, parallel, spaced, integral portions 62 each bent back upon itself and sealed to one face of member 52 in the manner seen in FIG. 14. Thus, each such portion 62 provides a sleeve 63. Member 54 is similarly provided with projections 64 bent back upon themselves and sealed to a surface of member 54' to form a sleeve 65. The sleeves are disposed co-axially and a retaining cord 66, FIG. 15, is run therethrough to complete the seam. To disconnect members 52' and 54', the retaining cord 66 is simply withdrawn.

Using the detachable seams just described with reference to FIGS. 13 and as the seams 59, FIG. 9, it will be apparent that the end portions of the shelter body can be fabricated entirely of a polyester film or like material not capable of being folded without damage. Thus, if one or both of the seams 59, FIG. 9, are constructed in the manner shown in FIGS. 13-15, one side edge of the end portion 54 can be detached from portion 52 and end portion 54 then folded, about the other seam 59, to lie completely between the two halves of portion 52. Assuming the two halves of portion 52 to be connected by fold strip 58, the entire shelter body can obviously be folded and rolled up without damage to the polyester material.

It is also to be understood that a detachable seam, such as that shown in FIGS. 13-15, can be employed to secure together the two halves 52' and 52" of main body portion 52, FIG. 9.

As has been mentioned, an advantage of the invention is that the lower edge of the shelter body extends in the form of a rectangle. This allows the use of a rigid, rectangularly extending base structure. One particularly advantageous form of such a base structure is illustrated in FIGS. 16 and 17. Here, the base is indicated generally at 67 and consists of four straight channel members 68-71 secured together at their ends to form a rectangle. Members 63-71 are identical as to transverse vertical cross section, the cross section being illustrated in FIG. 17. Thus, each member 68-71 comprises upper and lower horizontal webs 72 and 73 connected by a vertical web 74 and terminating, along their edges opposite web 74, in opposed flanges 75 and 76, respectively. Base structure 67 is advantageously secured, as by bolts 77, to a concrete or other base 78, as indicated in FIG. 17. Disposed within each channel member 68-71 is a fiat retaining plate 79, FIG. 17, each plate 79 having a vertical dimension shorter than that of web 74.

It is to be understood that the flexible shelter body, indicated generally at 80, FIG. 17, has the configuration hereinbefore described with reference to FIGS. 1-4 and 7-8. Therefore, the lower edge portion 81, FIG. 17, of the shelter body extends rectangularly, the rectangle formed thereby being generally the same as that formed by rigid base structure 67. Hence, lower edge portion 8 1 of the shelter body can be disposed within the channels of members 68-71. To secure the lower edge portion of the shelter body in place, the same is run about dependent flanges 75, over the top edges of retaining plates 79, thence downwardly and around the bottom edges of plates 79 and thence upwardly and outwardly to terminate above upstanding flanges 76. Such disposition of lower edge portion 8-1 of the shelter body is accomplished prior to inflation of the shelter. Accordingly, complete inflation of the shelter brings the parts of the base structure to the relative positions seen in FIG. 17, so that retaining plates 79 and flanges 75, 76 cooperate to clamp the lower edge portion 81 of the shelter body firmly to the base structure in substantially fluid-tight relation. Adv-antageously, the extreme edge of portion 81 is provided with an enlarged hem, indicated at 82, FIG. 17, to improve the clamping action.

It will be understood that in the construction of FIG. 9, in which strip or panel 5 8, of material which can be folded without damage, extends longitudinally through out the entire central portion of the shelter, there is provision for only a single fold. In the case of larger shelters, more than one longitudinal fold is sometimes required to assure that, whenthe folding and rolling operation is completed, the length of the roll will not be too great to allow easy handling and transporting. Accordingly, it is to be understood that more than one of the strips 58, FIG. 9, can be employed so that, when the shelter is folded in the manner seen in FIG. 11, it can again be folded along a longitudinally extending line.

The term shelter is used herein generically to refer to any enclosure, regardless of the purpose thereof. The seams and other connections of the shelters hereinbefore described have been referred to as fluid-tight and it will be understood that this term is relative, more or less escape of air from the erected shelter being allowable, the extent thereof being dependent upon the capacity of the blower employed.

What is claimed is:

1. In an air-supported shelter, the combination of a shelter body of flexible sheet material capable of being held in erected condition by a positive fluid pressure within the shelter, and means for detachably securing said shelter to a base support, said body when in erected condition having a generally rectangular bottom edge, a main portion defining part of a horizontal cylinder and an end portion defining part of a horizontal cylinder the longitudinal axis of which extends at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder formed by said main portion, said end portion being joined to said main por tion along two seam lines which converge from corners of the rectangle of said bottom edge to intersect the longitudinal center line of said main portion at a common point, said shelter body when detached from said base support being foldable upon itself, along said longitudinal center line and said seam lines, so that the halves of said shelter body are flat and superposed, whereby said shelter body can be rolled into a compact bundle Without necessitating that the material thereof be creased save at said longitudinal center line and said seam lines.

2. An air-supported shelter of the type described comprising a flexible shelter body of sheet material having, in erected condition, a rectangular plan, a central portion extending in the form of part of a cylindrical surface, and end portions each extending cylindrically about a horizontal axis lying at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the part of a cylindrical surface defined by said central portion, said central and end portions having the same radius of curvature, said end portions each joining said central portion along two seam lines which converge from corners of the plan rectangle of said shelter body to intersect the longitudinal center line of said central portion at a common point, said shelter body being foldable, when not erected, into flat condition suitable for rolling without creasing thereof save along said longitudinal center line and said seam lines.

3. A shelter in accordance with claim 2 and wherein said central portion is formed in part of a flexible transparent sheet material of such nature as to be subject to damage when creased and in part of flexible sheet material capable of being creased without damage, the central longitudinal part of said central portion being formed of said last-mentioned material whereby said central portion can be folded in half longitudinally without damage by creasing.

'4. A shelter in accordance with claim 3 and wherein said central portion is formed in two halves, each of flexible transparent sheet material subject to damage by creasing, and said two halves are joined by an intermediate centrally disposed longitudinally extending strip of flexible material capable of being creased without damage. 7

5. A shelter in accordance with claim 4 and wherein said end portions are each formed in two halves, each of flexible transparent material subject to damage by creasing, and said strip extends into each of said end portions, the halves of said end portions being joined by said strip.

6. A shelter in accordance with claim 2 and further comprising a rigid base structure extending in the form of a horizontal rectangle, the lower edge portion of said shelter body being detachably secured to said base structure.

7. In an air-supported shelter, the combination of a base structure extending in the form of a horizontal rectangle, a shelter body of flexible sheet material capable of being held in an erected condition by a positive fiuid pressure within the shelter, and means for securing said shelter body to said base structure, said shelter body when in said erected condition having a generally rectangular bottom edge, a main portion defining part of a horizontal cylinder and an end portion defining part of another horizontal cylinder the longitudinal axis of which extends at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder formed by said main portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,388,478 Nelson Aug. 23, 1921 2,895,490 Dimond July 21, 1959 2,914,776 Hotz Dec. 1, 1959 2,921,592 Mackey Jan. 19, 1960 2,939,467 Meyer et al June 7, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 506,990 Italy Dec. 27, 1954 

